Shake Shack's Cheese Sauce Uses This Secret Ingredient

Many people flock to Shake Shack for the burgers that propelled its rise. Some, like Ina Garten, love its Chicken Shack sandwich, and the franks can't be overlooked at the burger giant that began as a hot dog cart. Fries on the side and a namesake shake are a must for many, too. But the cheese sauce that smothers the cheese fries is a non-headline item that's also popular with customers. Thanks to Shake Shack disclosing its recipe during the Covid-19 pandemic, when other fast food companies were also publishing recipes for everyone cooped up at home, white wine was revealed as an unexpected secret ingredient.

Our new cooking-along series, Shake Shack at Your Shack, is here! In our first episode, our Culinary Director is teaching you how to make our classic cheese sauce at home. Trust us... you'll want to drizzle this fan favorite on everything! #ShakeShack #AtYourShack pic.twitter.com/yNqmRdXMOI

— SHAKE SHACK (@shakeshack) May 11, 2020

To deglaze the pan, the recipe calls for white wine vinegar and the chain's "Shack White" — which the can reveals is actually a sauvignon blanc. That choice is ideal for cooking with white wine, when a dry variety with good acidity , like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, or even a sparkling type, like a prosecco, is best. Sweeter wines can caramelize if you're using them to deglaze or be too sweet for what you're making, while oakier kinds may develop bitterness, or their flavor can be too pronounced. The higher acidity is also a good balance for richness, like in Shake Shack's sauce.

Using wine is traditional in fondue, essentially another type of cheese sauce, as its tartaric acid helps keep the melted cheese from becoming stringy or breaking. But that's likely not its purpose in Shake Shack's sauce, and it's mainly there for flavor. That's because half the cheese used is American, which is processed to melt easily without any of those concerns and is the reason it melts so well on a burger or a classic patty melt. Additionally, to work in fondue, the ratio of wine to cheese is about 1 cup per 1 pound, while Shake Shack's sauce has only 2 tablespoons for 4 cups, which is about 1 pound.

For the same reason, if you'd like to try using another cheese in the sauce, switch the cheddar for something else, but keep the American. You could try other modifications, too, like including garlic with the onions and jalapeño, or adding more of the spicy pepper or using a hotter kind if you want more heat. Other options include adding dried spices like paprika, chili powder, or dry mustard, or swapping out the white wine vinegar for Champagne, apple cider, or rice vinegars.

Shake Shack also uses the sauce on its fries with bacon, cheese hot dog with or without bacon, and Crispy Onion Cheese Dog. It's a dipping option for Chicken Bites and onion rings, as well, and can also be ordered as a side.